8 week old won't nap over 45 min!!!

[carolina_bug]

My DS is 8 weeks and has just started to wake from his naps at the 45 min mark.  We have had some struggles with his sleep as he was "colicky/refluxy" as of 3 weeks, but that is getting better.  Before, he was on somewhat of a 3 hour schedule.  He would eat, have very little A time, and then nap again until I woke him up at the 3 hour mark.  My DH and I did a lot of baby wearing to get him to sleep, but then he would nap in a swing.

For some reason, he has now started waking"ish" at the 45-hour mark.  His eyes are still closed, but he cries out and squirms.  He isn't actually awake but if I try to leave him, his cries turn into screams until he screams himself awake.  He does a lot of writhing and crying in his sleep at night as well.  His night sleep has been affected by the shorter naps, and I can't figure out what I'm doing differently/wrong.

I still have him on the eating every 2.5-3 hour schedule, but I don't know how to continue the EASY if he's waking up so soon.  I just do the A time, feed him at the 2.5 hr mark, and then put him down when I see his sleep cues again.  This is usually after about 1-1 hour 15 min.  I'm still wearing him to sleep as I've tried the shhh/pat and it doesn't work.  He's definitely a touchy baby so I've tried shh/pat for 20-30 min, and he wakes 15 min after I leave the room.

He's not being overstimulated, and I do a wind-down routine at every nap and before night time sleep.  It's the same thing I've been doing before that was working, but now isn't.

HELP!!

[ZacsMumme]

Hugs, it's so hard when they are unsettled.
Is your LO on any meds for the reflux? - do you feel there is discomfort there?
Have you tried putting a hand on yourLO at the 40 min mark and helping him through the 40-50 min period with some gentle shhing or pressure?

[carolina_bug]

Thanks for the reply zacsmumme.  I haven't tried doing shh/pat or putting pressure on his tum to get him through it.

As for the medication, we haven't started it.  My DH and I took him to an osteopath, and that really helped.  He's eating better, and his A time is much calmer, it's just the 45 min napping.  Most of the time, he wakes and is in a great mood, so could that mean he's just a short napper and that's all he needs?  He gets tired around the hour-fifteen to hour and a half mark and I put him down again. 

Also, he only eats for about 10 min at a time, so he's eating every 2 hours as well.  From what I've read, and been told by the dr. and others, it's better to feed him small amounts more often b/c of the reflux.  He still gags and chokes but not nearly as much as before.  I'm also off of dairy and soy and the usual beans, onions, garlic, etc.  That has helped as well.  He doesn't wake up to eat.

He still thrashes about in his sleep, but it doesn't seem to be from discomfort as he'll trash, and calm down, never waking.

[ZacsMumme]

it's just the 45 min napping.  Most of the time, he wakes and is in a great mood, so could that mean he's just a short napper and that's all he needs?

SOme Los are so it could be, also if you are making sure the A times are not too long after the shorter naps to prevent OT then it may be all he needs. Generally though these 45min naps are developmental. If your happy with them ATM (and sometimes its easier to go with than try to spend all day in the room resettling) then I would just keep an eye on that first nap of the day and make sure the A time is age appropriate, this means as he gets older and can sleep past 45mins he will do so because he wont be taking an UT nap

From what I've read, and been told by the dr. and others, it's better to feed him small amounts more often b/c of the reflux. 

It does help for some LOs, esp one that if feed too much projectile vomit. Just make sure you are not feeding all the time as sometimes this can also aggravate the reflux. Im glad he is generally happy and you dont see any major signs of discomfort. Keeping the cot elevated will also help, as will a paci if you see any symptoms return

[carolina_bug]

I keep him upright for 20-30 min after feeding him, and then keep him angled when he sleeps.  He's eating every two hours, napping for 45 min, and awake for 1.15 or 1.30, so I can't get him on a good 3 hour EASY schedule.

What is age appropriate A time for a 2 month old?  I try to read his sleep cues (yawning and getting irritable) and have wind down time before I do shh/pat to get him to sleep.  Sometimes it works, but most of the time, I have to wear him to sleep then put him down.

[ZacsMumme]

Avge is 1hr15-20 or so for 8 weeks
After the first few 45 min naps you may even want to try to PD a touch earlier ie 1hr5 to prevent OT come the end of the day

[carolina_bug]

So, I've tried to go in before the 45 min mark and help him get back to sleep, but it seems to only make him angry.  I've been doing it for every nap for the past few days and it hasn't worked once.  (

I've noticed that he's still asleep while he's doing the crying/screaming.  Should I just let him cry and see if he settles.  When I go to pick him up or do shh/pat, it really makes him scream and he gets angry.

I'm doing a shorter A time for the 45 min naps but that's not helping either.  Before he was waking up and was relatively happy, now he's quite irritable and wants to still sleep because his eyes aren't open.  I'm really at a loss.

[ZacsMumme]

Mmm strange, with the crying in his sleep do you think it's a mantra cry? I would hold back and see if he settles, but if you feel he wakes and is needing you go in. To resettle.
Sorry it's so tough

[carolina_bug]

I had never heard of a mantra cry before.  I looked it up, and there were a couple of examples on YouTube as well.

That's EXACTLY what he sounds like!  That makes me feel better.  I let him "cry" through it and he slept like a champ.  Fingers crossed that it continues!

Thanks.

[ZacsMumme]

http://babywhispererforums.com/index.php?topic=64160.0
Took me forever to work Zs out

[carolina_bug]

Well that was, unfortunately, a one time thing.  He hasn't gotten himself past the 45 min mark again.  He starts with the mantra type cry and then escalates until he's full on crying and wakes himself up.  He used to wake up and be in a good mood, but now he wakes and obviously still wants to be asleep.  I've tried going in before he wakes to help him through, but that doesn't work.  I have even picked him up and tried rocking, soother, the swing or just holding him.  Nothing works to get him past and continuing his nap past 45 min.

I've tried putting him down earlier thinking he was OT; putting him down later thinking UT; not doing as much during A time as not to overstimulate him.  Nothing works. 

I feel so badly for him because he is so cranky when he only gets the 45 min, but I don't know how to get him past. The few times he's had the 1.5 hr nap he's so happy! 

[ZacsMumme]

Hugs, some LOs just nap 45 mins developmentally. Do you honk this is the case given you've tried everything? What is his personality?

[carolina_bug]

I guess maybe that's it.  He's definitely a touchy baby, so that may just be where he's at developmentally.

[ZacsMumme]

Ugh sorry iPad autocorrect - I meant think not honk
It sux a bit, but if it's more stressful extending, and A time tweaking doesn't make a diff just offer more naps and try to keep the first Atime of the day appropriate so when he outgrews it he will be tired enough for a good nap x

[carolina_bug]

I have an iPhone, so I feel your pain!

That sounds like a plan.  I'm killing myself trying to adjust all of these things and nothing seems to be working, only making him angrier, so I just need to chill out and let him sleep his 45 min however many times a day he needs to.  I can at least say I tried though.

thanks!